Following the launch of the Solid Homme menswear label, fashion designer Youngmi Woo (1959) relocated from her native Seoul to Paris in 2002, establishing a second, high-end fashion brand WOOYOUNGMI. At the time, Woo was also the very first South Korean fashion designer to ever partake in Paris Fashion Week, and ever since, the brand has resonated with an increasing number of aficionados across the planet. And now, the designer has stepped up WOOYOUNGMI‘s profile on home turf with a stellar flagship store in Itaewon. A popular area of the South Korean capital, it’s actually better known for its dining and nightlife scene, but as of late, discerning shoppers are lured here by a growing number of select shops and boutiques

The WOOYOUNGMI flagship store occupies a striking, newly built structure by Swiss architecture and design practice Stocker Lee Architetti, which undoubtedly has further increased the neighbourhoods pull factor. Guided by the principle that ‘the horizontal plane is functional, while the vertical structure is emotional’, the design explores how architecture can embody feeling. A concrete and glass-block façade wraps around the structure, offering the neighbourhood a new and innovative architectural beacon. Mind you, the concrete is covered in a rare mineral paint finish, applied by hand, which lends it a subtle, colour-shifting quality as it catches the light throughout the day. Inside, the settings feature an ingenious play with ceiling heights, evoking shifting moods as shoppers navigate the premises.

Oozing a modern urban lifestyle, the natural light-flooded ground floor combines a lounge with the men’s section, featuring custom furniture designed in collaboration with artist Dongwook Choi. The second and third floors are home to the women’s collection. Here, a sculptural, shiny red counter anchors the expansive areas which present key looks from the brand’s Paris collections can also be found. On the fourth floor, Café de WOOYOUNGMI readily awaits shoppers with signature drinks and desserts, expanding the store’s modern lifestyle profile. Last, but certainly not least, there’s a rooftop garden, developed with landscaping studio Design Allee, founded by the fashion designer’s sisters, Hyunmi and Kyungmi Woo, which offers a quiet and lush urban retreat with sweeping views of the neighbourhood. © superfuture